Tag: Mike Hale

Annisquam then and now | DPW and Greenbelt team up at Lobster Cove new land preserve to solve access at narrow and blind corner on Leonard Street

Posted on by Catherine

annisquam village circa 1901

In 2017, donations of $650,000 were secured to preserve four acres of Lobster Cove acquired by Essex County Greenbelt Ed Becker and Dave Rimmer working with the city staff (DPW Mike Hale, Ken Whittaker, Community Development) and many in the community. The property is co-owned by Mt. Adnah Cemetery.

Wilman Trail

Recently DPW teamed up with Greenbelt to scrub out trees, rocks, earth and stone to grade a pedestrian path along its Leonard Street stretch at the landing past Annisquam Church. Widening Leonard Street because of its variable and intermittent scale would be a very expensive and perhaps unwelcome project. This quick jaunt seems like a thoughtful solution to support safe access and property exploration in a tricky spot.

 

Essex County Greenbelt Annisquam Wilman Trail Lobster Cove Gloucester MA _20180702_©c ryan (5)

‘Squam rock has some practice boulders

No longer hidden by overgrowth, beautifully balanced granite outcroppings were exposed. If you look just so you might see the lines of a baby shorebird under wing or is that just me? Hmmm… Mother Ann, Squam Rock and baby Bird Rock.

Annisquam nestled bird rock_20180702_054907©c ryan

 

WGBH radio: Maggie Penman asks Mike Hale Gloucester DPW and Rockport DPW Richard Souza are the beaches ready?

Posted on by Catherine

Cape Ann Department of Public Works (DPW) have been at it clearing and repairing our coastal communities non-stop since three back to back winter storms. Both Gloucester and Rockport beaches are open for Memorial Day. According to the story, Cape Cod not so much.

Here’s the link to read the WGBH article and to listen to the story in case you missed it on the radio this morning  Memorial Day is Here. Are Massachusetts Beaches Ready? WGBH story (article and radio) by reporter Maggie Penman (apt name for journalist :))

WGBH radio interview Gloucester and Rockport DPW are MA beaches ready

portrait of Mike Hale Director Department Public Works Gloucester MA © c ryan _ April_ 2017.jpg
portrait of Mike Hale, Director of Public Works, Gloucester, MA, April 2017

THANK YOU JOE LUCIDO!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Huge shout out to Joe Lucido, Mike Hale, and the entire crew that make up the departments of public works and services for the City of Gloucester. Please thank these gentlemen next time you see them. Hard working guys that they are, they have added plover helpers to their long list of responsibilities, and all have lent a hand in helping Gloucester’s Piping Plovers succeed.

Joe heard about the dog owner trouble yesterday and stopped by early, early this morning to help monitor the situation, as well as check on the new weekend trash barrels.

Thanks so much to Joe and Mike and their crews for all that they are doing to help keep our city looking its best, mostly for people, but their efforts tremendously help the Plovers, too.

I took this snapshot of the trash barrels late yesterday afternoon, Sunday, after one of the busiest beach days of the summer. No trash spilling out! So far so good with the updated Carry In/Carry Out-Trash Barrel Plan.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWqYidIFX4Y/

Stacy Boulevard Part 7: expanded garden plans Tulip Fest May 6, 2017

Posted on by Catherine
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photos: © Catherine Ryan

Saturday May 6, 2017 is the official ribbon cutting re-opening of Stacy Boulevard by Mayor Romeo Theken. Thanks to the Mayor, Mike Hale and all Gloucester DPW, GZA, Essex County Landscape Assoc, Gloucester Community Preservation Act, Ann Giraldi Johnson, GFWA, Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, and groups like the Seaport Economic Council and Dir Carolyn Kirk, Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), Joe Lucido, Ed Parks, Mike Linquata, Donna Ardizzoni and One Hour at a Time Gang, Ringo Tarr, Bobbie Turner, YMCA and summer help, Wolf Hill, Generous Gardeners, and other volunteers!

Tulip Festival and bonnet parade Saturday 10AM

Ribbon Cutting 11:30AM

Party at Mile Marker Restaurant 6-10PM

Enjoy a closer look at the engineering and landscape plans for the expanded gardens and before/after comparisons.

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Stacy expanded gardens

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Before April 2017 | After May 2017

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IMG_20170504_053712Funding for future perennials funded in part by the Gloucester Community Preservation Act

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CPA grant towards new gardens summary of design and details

CPA funding

Series:

SCENES FROM O’MALEY: EXPLORING MASS IN MOTION SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL WALKING PRIORITIES. CUE GMG POLL

Posted on by Catherine

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photo L-R: Principal Debra Lucey; Steven Winslow Community Development; Val Gilman Ward 4 City Councilor 

Thirty people came together in the beautiful library at O’Maley for a public meeting concerning safer walking on nearby streets. The meeting was presented by Ward 4 Councilor Val Gilman and Mayor Romeo Theken. Read prior post with announcement details. Steve Winslow from Community Development gave a presentation before a crowd of residents, mostly from the neighborhood with a smattering of O’Maley parents. O’Maley’s terrific Principal, Debra Lucey, participated.

Winslow explained that he and Principal Lucey worked on the crux of the issues back in 2012 through a “Safe Routes to School” planning study. Complete Streets and Safe Routes to School are implemented by MassDOT (Massachusetts Department of Transportation). Principal Lucey, a Lanesville resident, drives to school via Reynard Street, arguably the route most discussed as being problematic at this particular meeting. People are driving too fast on Cherry Street.

Nothing is final and the discussion was open. Attendees were encouraged to put a sticker by projects they wanted to prioritize and/or take off the table. What three would you tick?

Lucey and her husband relocated to Gloucester because of the O’Maley job and a sweet connection with Gloucester. She and her husband had their first date here: Good Harbor Beach and dinner at the Rudder!

Massdot

Massdot Complete Streets funding portal

MA Public Health Association complete streets 

massDOT omaley safe routes complete streets

Gloucester majestic Stacy Boulevard construction Part 4: public works bringing the plans to life

Posted on by Catherine

FAST STATS

Contractor: Newport, Nashua, NH, Brian McCabe is the Project Manager
Status: in progress
Progress April 2017: nearing finish line
Project start (historic): pre 1900
Modern project start: 1999
Funding Awarded: 2013

  • from State: $5,600,000 Seaport Advisory Council
  • from City: $1,120,000 + contingencies
  • Funding in place: 2015
  • Gloucester seawall grants over the last 18 years include: Cripple cove/ Robinsons landing; small sea wall by beacon marine and pirates lane; fort square; Stacy (Stage Fort through Blynman); plus emergency work on Blynman collapse

Bid Open and contract amount: 2/24/15 approx $7 million
Contract completion: on schedule, estimated spring 2017
Locations: Stacy Boulevard and Blynman
Priority: Top Level! Unique and exceptional project– Mayor’s Office considers seawall boulevard a priority necessity, for safety, a centuries infrastructure project with immeasurable quality of life benefits for residents and visitors and essential to economy
Temporary work site chain link fence: Required. The chain link fence is installed by the contractor to protect the work zone and define it better.
Tender house at Blynman and bridge: These are State not city/DPW purview. The new bridge house is temporary (thankfully). The entire bridge needs to be replaced and when it is a new tender’s house will be constructed. I will write more about the bridge house and Blynman in other posts.
Local jobs– scroll below

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photo above: fencing subcontractor on a beautiful work site readying for railing. Railing required diamond coring like old granite quarrying. Stacy Boulevard December 2016. 

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photo caption: Railing! 2000 feet of new galvanized railing. (The replaced railing was not galvanized. DPW replaces railing: it’s simply a matter of funding.)

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photo caption: Alex Karp – GZA Field Engineer Boulevard construction. The GZA company acquired (David) Vine Associates. GZA is the design engineer for the boulevard project.  David Smith at GZA (formerly Vine) has worked with Gloucester since 1999. 

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photo caption: Gloucester’s DPW construction along the Boulevard

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photo caption: CAP STONE! It’s more than decorative. It has two exposed sides that need to be trimmed to look perfect. Mike Hale, Boulevard construction, November (of course note beard) 2016

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photo caption: Stacy Boulevard contruction capstone and harbor

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photo CAPtion!: Stacy Boulevard dazzling dizzying scope of ocean and capstone as far as the eye can see

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photo caption: Mike Hale with Brian McCabe, Project Manager, Newport construction, November 2016, Gloucester Boulevard

LOCAL JOBS

Along with the Mayor’s office and current administration, Gloucester’s DPW and Newport Construction work with subcontractors including local ones such as:

GZA – national with corporate headquarters in Norwood, MA – Engineering

Gloucester Transit Mix Concrete, Gloucester, MA,  – huge part of project!

Cape Ann Stone, Rockport, MA, Bruce Johnson (owner) – granite

MBT Electricians, Gloucester, MA –  electrical and lighting

Essex County Landscaping, Gloucester, MA, J D Aspesi (owner) – irrigation and sod

Anne Gilardi Johnson –  additional new gardens, site and landscape design for the Boulevard (building upon the successful Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Memorial)– Johnson , a Gloucester native and multi award winning landscape architect, was commissioned by the Fishermen’s Wive Memorial board back in 2000 to design the landscape for Morgan Faulds Pike bronze sculpture, dedicated August 2001. “A series of design plans, and finally a study model, was produced as part of an interactive process between the designer, sculptor, and the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association.” Johnson is a member of the Boston Society of Landscape Architects (largest chapter of the national organization), “known for her design of urban spaces including parks, playgrounds, memorials and streetscapes in Boston,” Worcester, and Gloucester. Her award winning designs include Boston’s (James) Hayes and Childe Hassam Parks in the South End. Generous Gardeners is planting the new beds on the Boulevard: thousands of tulip and daffodil bulbs were planted by many volunteers last fall to bloom this spring!

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some prior posts:

April 2017 Part 3- Gloucester’s boulevard public works construction Part 3: compare high res plans from 1922 and 1923 with today

April 2017 Part 2: Boulevard Public Works stunner | Gloucester is an early client for the Harvard and Olmsted trained landscape designer, Thomas Warren Sears. His 1908 photos are a must see!

April 2017 nearing the finish line Part 1- 

September 12 2016- Stacy Boulevard construction update: historic Blynman the Cut Bridge project scope plans and engineering details

August 2016 

Gloucester’s Stacy boulevard public works construction Part 3: compare high res plans from 1922 and 1923 with today

Posted on by Catherine

Here are the original 1922 and 1923 plans from the Gloucester DPW archives for close inspection:

Gloucester MA DPW archives Proposed Sea Wall 19224 MB Gloucester MA DPW archives Western Avenue Highway 1923

The Gloucester Daily Times published a construction status for the Western Avenue Project on June 5, 1923. Necessary delays were explained and some of the work would not be ready for Gloucester’s tercentenary celebration. The column indicates that the bridge house would be moved across the street–which didn’t happen then, but is happening in 2017– and mentions the state’s involvement.

“Work on Sea Wall Completed”- June 5 1923 update

Work on the construction of the new Western avenue seawall as far as the state is concerned, is practically completed and the lighters which for several months past have afforded great interest in many spectators have been withdrawn from the job…

On the western end of the park, the wall which held up the little park known as Marine Park is being capped with a four-foot cement topping, to bring it level to and joined with the new wall just completed from that point easterly toward Morgan’s store. 

Although hopes had been held out that the entire boulevard could be completed in time for the celebration, doubts are expressed now if this can be brought to a conclusion because of the large amount of work to be done, such as filling in behind the wall just erected, and the laying out of the street. Before the street can be laid out, time must be allowed for the settling of the rock filling, thousands of tons of which are to be dumped behind the wall, and this, it is now believed by those in charge, will not be ready for surfacing until spring (1924) at the least.

The bridge-house and the small shed alongside of it are scheduled to be moved to the other side of the street so that an unobstructed view of the boulevard from The Tavern to…“

 

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Walk this way: Gloucester’s stately Stacy Boulevard public works project is breathtaking and one for the ages! Part 1

Posted on by Catherine
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This view will be changing imminently! Today’s Motif Monday is the work on the Boulevard.

The marvelous engineering and construction for the boulevard is a HUGE story. In all the collective excitement to walk this way, let’s remember to take a moment to acknowledge this feat.

Mike Hale, Gloucester’s Director of Public Services, was hired in July of 1999, the very same year that this ambitious boulevard infrastructure planning and funding search began for this project. It was funded in 2014.  That means the current project timeline spanned 4 Mayors, administration, staff and city councils. The construction has been exceptionally well managed and I predict it will be or should be nationally recognized with awards. I have been documenting the progress and in the coming days will post several tributes, contemporary views, historic photos and background to rev up anticipation and respect.

Coincidentally, April 16, 2017 will mark the 94th anniversary of an important piece of the boulevard’s construction.

On that day in history, Gloucester’s city council approved the purchase of two lots, the Grant and Low properties:

“Whereas it is the desire of the board of park commissioners of the city of Gloucester to take in fee by purchase or otherwise certain land in said Gloucester lying between Western Avenue and the sea,

“And whereas, the said board has estimated the expenses of acquiring the same to be $8000,

“It is hereby ordered that the sum of $8000 be and hereby is appropriated from the $90,000 Western Avenue act of 1922 to the board of park commissioners as provided by law for the purpose of acquiring and laying out as a public park such land as the said board of park commissioners consider desirable therefore, being the land as shown on a plan entitled ‘Proposed taking for highway and park purposes, Gloucester, Mass, dated April 16, 1923, John H. Griffin, City Engineer,’ having reference to that portion as shown on said plan as is proposed to be taken for park purposes.” I’ve added the bold emphasis to note the big vision of Western Avenue as a public park and extension of Stage Fort in 1923.

The significant original investment was tangible and long lasting, hallmarks of any successful public works project. Did the Boulevard improve the quality of life in Gloucester? It wasn’t easy. Houses and roads were moved.

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Photo caption: “A VIEW NOW OF THE PAST. Most of us are familiar with the Above View. it Shows the Dwellings which Once Lined the Western Avenue Waterfront Before Work was Started Constructing the New Boulevard.”

These photographs were published in August 1923 and retrieved from the Gloucester Daily Times microfiche reel at Gloucester Lyceum & Sawyer Free Library.

The caption below describes Kent Circle “where grand stand has been erected for the review of the parades” for Gloucester’s tercentenary celebration. 

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Awaiting full access in 2017 is a mere blip of an inconvenience when considering how fundamental the Boulevard is for Gloucester. Its benefits are priceless.

Tomorrow’s post BRINGING PLANS TO LIFE

Prior posts

THANKS TO GOOD HARBOR BEACH’S DPW CREW TONY AND MURRAY FOR THE GREAT WORK THEY DO!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Each and every morning the DPW is out there cleaning Good Harbor Beach. They do an absolutely tremendous job. You would be shocked at what people leave behind, and the sheer volume of it. I am usually filming in non-public spaces and it has been an eye opener working at a public beach in the early morning. If you see these guys, please tell them thanks.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BG1dVDsDysv/

 

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GloucesterCast 117 Taped 2/16/15 With Guests Nichole Schrafft, Kim Smith, Donna Ardizzoni, Toby Pett and Host Joey Ciaramitaro

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

GloucesterCastSquare

GloucesterCast 117 Taped 2/16/15 With Guests Nichole Schrafft, Kim Smith, Donna Ardizzoni, Toby Pett and Host Joey Ciaramitaro

Topics Include: Coping Strategies For Winter Depression or How To Avoid Committing Suicide When You Hear That There May Be Two More Storms This Week, GMG Snow Shoveler Project, The Outrage Over The MBTA Head, Bikini Speedo Dodgeball Tournament Is On!, Sherman Morss Coyote Pack Photos On Eastern Point, Lawmakers Ruining The American Way- The Movement To Ban Sledding and Yoga Pants, Pinoli Reverts To Alchemy, Foreign Affairs Has Reopened, Duckworth’s For Valentine’s Day, Poll- When With The Stage Fort Snow Farm Be Gone?, Freedom Boat Club, Kudos To Mike Hale and The Gloucester DPW, Smart TVs Ditching Traditional Cable, Kim Smith Amaretto Truffles

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Joey, Nichole, Donna podcast ©Kim Smith 2015 (1)

Kaari Sullivan Is the Podcast Subscriber Contest Winner Of The Fleece Lined Good Morning Gloucester Logo Jacket Donated By Paulie Walnuts. You Can Pick It Up Here At The Dock, Contact Me To Arrange A Time

Subscribe to The GloucesterCast Podcast by Email

CITY’S DPW AND DPU DIRECTOR, MIKE HALE, IN DREADLOCKS, WITH SCRUFFY LOCAL SCRIBE

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

PHOTO TAKEN BY LIBRARY DIRECTOR CAROL GREY AT LANESVILLE RENEGADE PARADE MONDAY BEFORE HEAVENS OPENED

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